Film academy unveils new outdoor Hollywood theater

The film academy is opening an outdoor theater in Hollywood and inviting tourists and locals to enjoy movies there this summer.

Academy president Tom Sherak unveiled the screening space Monday and announced the "Oscars Outdoors" film series to begin June 15 with "Casablanca." Films will screen every Friday and Saturday night through Aug. 18.

The outdoor theater is part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' sprawling Hollywood campus, which includes its film archive and Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study, and reflects the organization's commitment to Hollywood, Sherak said. The academy recently announced that the Academy Awards would continue to broadcast from the Hollywood & Highland Center for the next two decades.

The "Oscar Outdoors" theater features surround sound and a 40-foot screen. Guests are invited to bring blankets and beach chairs to enjoy the outdoor experience. Food trucks will provide a sort of "revolving concession stand," programming director Randy Haberkamp said.

He and Sherak both said they hope the outdoor theater recalls the drive-in theaters of a bygone era.

"I wish we could have built a drive-in theater," Sherak said. "This is the closest we could get."

"Oscar Outdoors" admission is $5; $3 for students and free for kids under 10.